


Cathy and Hartley

by LesbianWriter87



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 17:11:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7722904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesbianWriter87/pseuds/LesbianWriter87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cathy and Hartley Meet when they're 8 years old. This is what happens after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cathy and Hartley

**Author's Note:**

> Takes Place in the same universe as Daughter of Scotland's Fics Playing with Fire and Have a cuddle, swing a little. Done with Author's permission.

Cathy and Hart met when they were eight years old.

They hated it.

Not each other, they liked each other fine. But they hated how they had to act.

She’ll never forget the grimace on his face when he had to kiss her hand ‘like a gentlemen’

She hated that she had to wear a dress, a PINK dress at that.

It was a relief when their mothers sent them off to play so they could have tea.

The minute they were in her play room she apologized for all the pink.

He apologized for not liking kissing her hand.

She said she hadn’t liked it that much either.

There had been a minute of silence and then they had started laughing.

She had ended up showing him her stories that she was writing and he ended up talking about the inaccuracies about unicorns and mermaids.

****

They were 10 when she noticed that Hartley was a bit different than other boys.

Well she had always known that, Hartley would rather read books several grades above his level and talking about physics and stuff that she had NO idea what he meant, then talk about sports or bugs.

But this was something very different.

He kept talking about how wonderful his piano teacher was.

His male piano teacher, who apparently had ‘pretty eyes’ and ‘nice hair’ and was ‘so encouraging’

At first she just thought it was because his teacher paid the attention to him that his father didn’t.

But then he said the same thing about the librarian at their school

And about the soccer coach, why else would Hartley play a sport he hated?

Yes, Hartley was different.

*****

They were 16 before they realized their parents were planning for them to marry.

By that time they were Hartley and Cathrine at least to the world.

But to each other they were always Hart and Cathy.

Her parents were rich from the stock market and his had a billion dollar company.

It was an Advantous match.

“I don’t want to marry you” Hartley blurted over glasses of champagne of yet another Gala.

She had smiled at him and said “I know, to be honest I don’t want to marry you either.

He had sipped his drink and then said. “Cathrine, I’m gay.”

She had nodded “I sort of suspected” she admitted

He had looked at her. “Don’t tell anyone?”

Cathy nodded. “Of course not. It’s not my secret to tell”

0000

She’s 18 when she realizes she’s different too.

She had never felt anything in particular when thinking of men, the only man she ever really felt any sort of closeness too was Hartley and that was more like a brother then anything.

But she started noticing girls, the way she was supposed to notice boys.

She liked girls the way she was supposed to like boys.

She had told Hartley, who at that point was already in college having skipped middle school altogether, he was already getting a bachelor degree in physics.

He merely nodded and said. “I sort of suspected, I saw how you looked at your dance teacher when you were 11 and your home ec teacher when you were 13.”

She smiled at him, it was nice. To know she had someone to be different with.

0000

They were both 20 when another difference came to the surface.

She had caught Hartley watching ‘Those’ kind of videos when she had stopped by his dorm room; he had refused to live at home since he was working on his masters and wanted privacy.

She had frozen and so had he.

**_Spank me daddy!”_ ** **The younger man moaned while getting his ass paddled by a man who seemed at least 6 years older, maybe 10.**

**“ _Don’t worry; daddy will give baby boy what he needs”_ the ‘daddy moaned as he dropped his pants**

“Hartley?” she had asked more confused than anything

He had blushed and shut his laptop. “Cathy I…I can...”

She had set next to him. “It’s ok. I was just surprised.” She said gently

He just looked at her obviously embarrassed.

She paused then changed the subject. “So you had something to tell me?  


Hartley beamed at her. “I got contacted by Professor Harrison wells!” he said happily. “He wants me to be on his team!”

She smiled and asked him questions and didn’t mention what he had been looking at.

But when she got home a few hours later she looked it up and tried to find a similar set up for women who love women.

0000

They were 21 when they came out.

It’s at their engagement party which their parents set up.

She remembers the shock running through her veins as their fathers start talking loudly about how it’s time for them to do what needs to be done for their families.

Hartley is the one who speaks up first, of course he is. He’s gotten a lot more outspoken since he went to college, even more now that he’s done with his masters and working on his PHD.

“We’re not getting married.” He says it flatly

She looks at him and knows in a split second what he’s going to do.

Mr. Hartley is glaring at his son. “Now Hartley I let you go to college first and play around with your physics but now you need to grow up and do your duty to the family.”

Harley is standing now glaring at his fathers. “I’m not marrying her dad.” He says coldly. “I’m not marrying any woman. I’m gay!”

There’s a silence.

Then her mother is on her feet screaming at the Hartley’s about how their ‘degenerate son’ has ‘broken the poor girl’s heart.”

Suddenly she’s standing too and saying. “He didn’t. He can’t I’m gay too. We’ve known about each other for years.”

There’s another silence and then all four of the parents are screaming and the other guests are staring and everything has gone topsy turvy.

She’s not sorry.

Not even when they both get disowned.

But she had a trust from her grandmother and he had a full scholarship thanks to Professor Harrison Wells at the university.

 

So they’ll both be ok.

0000

She’s 22 and she feels like she’s found her niche.

Hartley is working on different projects with Harrison Wells and she’s sure that he’s a little bit in love with the older man.

Her books are doing great and her age play club just opened.

She even has business cards

** Inner Child **

** Come and embrace the child within **

** 555-7836 **

Business is good and she’s happy.

They’re both happy.

Except she’s starting to wonder why Hartley’s stopped call and talking to her. She called him last night and he had sounded upset but told her he was fine just busy and then hung up.

It didn’t make any sense

Until Hartley is betrayed by Dr.Wells.

0000

She hears about it on the campus Grapevine of all things and automatically grabs her phone as words about it echo around her.

_ Stole his work” _

_ “ **I** heard they selpt together.” _

_ “Well he had to get the scholarship somehow right?” _

_ “And now everyone is saying that Dr.wells is being accused of stealing Hartley’s work” _

__

“Damn it Hartley answer your phone!” she snaps under her breath when she hears his voicemail tell her to “Please leave a message”

 

She leaves several several messages

_“Hartley it’s Cathy. Please tell me what happened.”_

_“Hartley please I’m scared to death, talk to me?”_

_“Hartley please. I just need to know your safe”_

_“Hartley your scaring me please tell me your ok.”_

_“Damit hart let me know where you are!”_

_“Hartley I went by your dorm, you weren’t there and no one knows where you went after your meeting with wells. Please I’m worried sick. Just text me or something and let me know where you are?”_

_“Hartley please, your scaring me.”_

 

It’s a long night because she doesn’t hear from him and she can’t sleep at all

0000

Of all the places in all the world where she would see Hartley again. She did NOT expect a starbucks to be that place.

But there he is, seeming fine. Maybe he seems a bit tired but fine.

She can’t stay calm about this now.

“HARTLEY EDWARD  RATHAWAY!”

Everyone turns and looks at her, including Hartley who stares at her like a deer in the headlights. She can’t care and storms up to him.

“Do you have ANY idea how scared I was?!” she demands all the while looking him over to make sure he’s ok.  She pauses seeing the bruise on his neck. “Oh my god…” her voice is flat.

“I have spent all night, sending you texts and leaving voicemail for you and you were getting HICKEYS?!”

He winces “Cathy I..”

“What’s going on here?” A gruff voice interrupts. She vaugly reconizes the head of security. Nick or Rick something like that she thinks, standing there with a holder that has two cups and a plate with 3 muffins on it.

Cathy looks right back at him “THIS is a discussion between me nad someone I was worried SICK over.” She snaps refusing to be intimidated.

Hartley finally speaks. “Cathy please it’s not what you think. I was with Mick after…” he trails off and mick puts down the drinks nad muffins and starts to rub the smaller man’s back glaring at her.

Ok so his name is Mick.

Cathy rubs her face. “Why didn’t you call Hartley? What the hell happened. I’ve heard everything from you getting kicked out of the university to the Wells had killed you!” but her voice is less angry now. She can’t stay upset, not when Hartley is showing this much vulnerability. Something he NEVER does in public.

Harley swallows. “I….I was called into wells office and he…he said that I had been stealing from his notes and that I had to leave. He stole my work Cathy and then had the gall to act like I had been using him.” There was a slight note of anger in his voice. He takes one of the cups of  coffee on the holder and took a sip of it.

“I fell apart Cathy….I’m sorry I didn’t call but….I just…” he sighed “Mick had shown that he wanted me and I wanted to be wanted. I NEEDED something you couldn’t give me…”

Cathrine feels guilt and anger painfully mix in her stomach. “Ok…I understand that part…I’m sorry I yelled. I should have realized you would have called if you needed me. I just heard all the rumors and got so scared…”

 

Harley nods and nibbles on his muffin. “Mick and I….we’re together now.” He said softly.

Cathy blinks at that then glances at Mick thoughtfully, surprised by his silence until she sees hartley’s knees against his. It’s a silent gesture, pleading for him to let him handle this?. He scowls back at her and she has to smile. “You picked a good one.” She said finally. Harley blinks at her. “What?”

Cathy shrugs. He took care of you last night when you needed it.” She said “And he obviously doesn’t give a flying fuck about what I think of him” Mick snorts. “Damn right I don’t”

Cathy has to laugh.  “Don’t pull any punches? Good I like that.” She said smiling at him more. “Don’t really care.” Is the cold answer and she merely looks at him. “That’s why I like it” she says it causally.

She ends up getting coffee and sitting with them. Hartley tells her everything and mick is mostly silent. She suspects he’s pissed at her for screaming at hart like that  but she doesn’t really care. Hartley is safe. That’s all that matters to her, and he found a hot new man.

000

It’s not until about 4 months later that she starts to worry again.

Not because she thought Hartley was being hurt, but because he was lying to her.

It started off as little things

 

Like him cancelling stuff with her because of work or something, or saying he’s can’t get together because he has a date with Mick. She doesn’t really think much of it a first.

But then  she hears Cisco ramon talking about the movie he’s going to see on Friday.

The same night Hartley had told her that he and cisco are going to be working in the lab all night.

He lied to her.

That makes her more upset then when she couldn’t get in touch with him, then she was scared he was hurt or even dead but now she knows he DELIBERATLY lying to her.

She tells herself that he must have a good reason, she doesn’t think he’d lie to her just to lie but she just mostly wants to know why.

So she does something she promised herself she’d never do.

She follows him.

 

She knows it’s wrong but she can’t get a straight answer out of him when she tries to talk about it.

It’s not that she doesn’t trust him, it’s just he’s never lied to her before and she wants to know what’s going on.

So now she’s sitting in her car watching him go up to Professor Snarts Apartment, She’s in his abnormal psych class and she knows Mick Lives with him.

She feels confused, why wouldn’t he just say he’s going to see Mick?

Then she sees a few other people go in, Barry Allen who’s on a track scholarship, Catlin snow and Ronnie Raymond who are TAs for medicine and engineering respective. Iris West who’s close to Barry then anyone, and Eddie thawne who’s dating Iris.

This doesn’t make any sense at all.

Taking a deep breath she finally gets out of her car and finally goes into the building, thank god she doesn’t need to be buzzed up, and heads up to Professor Snarts apartment. She knows it because she’s seen it in the directory at school when she was looking up his office number.

She stands outside the door staring at it like it’s keeping the secrets of the universe from her. She raises her hand to knock when she hears it.

Moans and gasps from inside the apartment.

Sex noises.

Oh.

She FEELS her face go vermilion and silently hurries away from the door.

Hartley is at an orgy, with other students, and professors and TAs.

What the hell does she do with that?

She goes back to her place; she’s taken the night off from the club, and ponders this new development.

She figures Hartley didn’t tell her because it’s his personal life, which she respects but still this is…big.

When she sees him for breakfast the next morning she feels awkward but she notices that he so much more...relaxed. Granted he’s been more relaxed and happy since he started seeing Mick but this is a special sort of relaxation. The kind that comes after a really FUN night. She’s seen it before.

He finally asks her what’s up with her after she nearly knocks over her coffee, and that’s after 10 minutes of her acting weird.

She sighs and figures honesty is the best policy.

“I followed you last night, I know where you were what you wer doing at mick’s and professor Snarts.

 

He stares at her. “You…you FOLLOWED me? Cathy why the hell?”

“Because you wouldn’t talk to me. You LIED to me Hart and I didn’t know what to do.”

He was glaring at her. “So you decided to just follow me? If something is going on in my personal life then that’s MY business. You don’t own me Catherine Melissa Andrews!”

“I never said I did but you were lying to me. You said you were going to work with cisco in the labs all night and I heard him talking about going to the movies! You lied to me!”

“And you jumped to following me? Jesus Christ Cathy why didn’t you just ask me about the lie? You know I wouldn’t lie unless it was important or I had too!”

 

Cathy glared at him “Don’t turn this on me. You’re having orgies with professors! Did mick talk you into this? “

He went stock still and when he spoke again it was tight and cold. “No. he didn’t. I was the one who wanted to join the cuddle and sex party. And professor Snart isn’t the professor of me or any of the others at the party so it’s not like Harrison wells at all and I am stunned you would even THINK that.” He takes a deep breath “Cathy. I am leaving now. You not only insulted me but you insulted the man I love. Do NOT call or text me I can’t be around you right now.”

And he walked out.

She was left sitting there staring after him and only when her face started to itch did she realize she was crying.

She didn’t hear from him for a week.

It was a horrible week.

Mostly she just feels guilty.

Because he was right, she didn’t have the right to just follow him because of one lie. She COULD have just asked him again.

She had been wrong and then she had jumped to the wrong conclusions about the man he was dating. The man that had taken care of him when Wells had tried to throw him out like garbage.

 

At the end of the week she finally calls him and gets his voicemail.

“Hartley, its Cathy, please don’t erase this. I just wanted to say I’m sorry; I had no right to follow you. Not because of one lie. And I should NEVER have tried to act like Mick was like wells. I just. I’m sorry, please just let me know we’re gonna be ok?”

 

It was another day before he called her left a message asking her to meet him at the same coffee shop as last week...

He looks awful, and so does she probably.

“I’m sorry.” She says to him as soon as they see each other. He stares at her and suddenly hugs her.

 

“I missed you” he says softly.

 

“I know” she says “I missed you too but you were right, I was being a bitch, and I was wrong.”

He sighs. “I lied because your Professor Snart’s student Cathy and he doesn’t like his students to be part of this in anyway. I was trying to respect his wishes, that’s all.”

She nods “you really don’t need to explain Hart, you have a right to a private life, I know we know more about each other’s private life then most friends do but…” she shrugs.

 

He smiles weakly at her and they go to order coffee.

They’re gonna be ok.


End file.
